In what was a bit of a surprise, General Manager Buddy Nix and the Buffalo Bills’ war room stood pat at the #10 pick in Thursday night’s NFL Draft first round, landing South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

Before walking to the stage for an uncomfortably long bear hug with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Gilmore’s expression looked downright sad. The Twitter-sphere noticed.

Since, though, Gilmore has said and done all the right things, appearing on WGR 550 AM this morning. Audio Buffalo’s Nick Mendola takes it easy on Gilmore’s reaction in today’s podcast, while WGR producer Dan Fisher tweeted this from the studio:

How Gilmore responded to his selection by the Bills probably just triggered our proud city’s defense mechanisms—on display a lot recently—and neither Willis McGahee or Marshawn Lynch beamed with excitement when learning of their cold northern destination.

Let’s hope that Gilmore’s tenure in the Queen City doesn’t follow those two; odds are high that Gilmore’s initial reaction was merely a product of nerves in an unfamiliar—and let’s face it, uncomfortable—situation. It’s also possible he was fearing Goodell’s warm embrace.

Additional thoughts on the Gilmore pick:

— Gilmore may be the draft’s fourth best corner in terms of pure talent, as North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins (a former Florida Gator) and Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick were superior athletes with genuine character concerns. The draft’s top corner, LSU’s Morris Claiborne, was taken by Dallas sixth overall—and the Tigers’ standout admitted today that he blew off the Wonderlic.

— ESPN Insider isn’t too flattering in its description of Gilmore’s man-to-man cover ability, but it’s evident that the Gamecock thrives in zone coverage.

— NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora tweeted shortly before the Bills chose Gilmore that the Detroit Lions were working feverishly to trade up for the South Carolina cornerback.

— The Bills passed on Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd, Iowa tackle Riley Reiff, Kirkpatrick and Georgia tackle Cordy Glenn, four players rumored to be on Buffalo’s wish list before the draft. Glenn is the lone player still available for the second round, where the Bills pick at #41—the ninth pick of the round.

Featured photo courtesy of the Buffalo Bills official Facebook page.